Part-time is Plenty
(1 Corinthians 12: 12-31)
I recently finished reading a book that the District Superintendent recommended to me entitled: Part-time is Plenty: Thriving Without Full-Time Clergy, written by part-time pastor Jeffrey MacDonald. He says that churches experiencing numerical and financial decline may dread the day when they can no longer afford a full-time pastor. Freeing up funds that would go to a full-time salary sure would help the budget and maybe even be enough to turn things around, but is it even possible to run effective ministries with just a half or quarter-time professional? MacDonald says that many churches operate under the belief that if you have gone from a full-time ordained pastor to a part-time pastor that it is somehow a sign of failure. But MacDonald says it is possible and that churches can grow more vibrant than ever, tapping into latent energy and undiscovered gifts, revitalizing worship, and engaging in more effective ministry with the community. He writes that embracing part-time ministry as a divine gift facilitates a higher level of lay engagement, responsibility, playfulness, and creativity. What he’s talking about is a more engaged level of layperson involvement in the life of the church rather than relying on or depending upon the pastor and office staff to do everything. I’ve been in churches like that, and the rate of burnout and job dissatisfaction is so much higher leading to turnover and a loss of focus and mission. A part-time pastorate relies upon the laity rolling up their sleeves and taking care of those things for which they have a gift or knack for or are willing to try. Remember that Jesus was also a carpenter, and the Apostle Paul supported himself as a tentmaker.
And that’s the issue the Apostle Paul is addressing in this portion of his letter to the church in Corinth, the issue of lay involvement in building up and supporting the body of Christ, the church. In his letter, Paul emphasizes the diversity and interdependence of the members that form one body and, at the same time, points out that God has so arranged the body so that greater honor goes to the members with less honor, so that there might be no divisions within the body, as in jealousy or envy as to who is more important. He begins by stating: Christ is just like the human body—a body is a unit and has many parts; and all the parts of the body are one body, even though there are many. We were all baptized by one Spirit into one body, whether Jew or Greek, or slave or free, and we all were given one Spirit to drink. What Paul is saying is that in Christ’s body, the church, the Spirit is working among the members corporately and within each individual believer. The one Spirit is the “life blood” enlivening the whole body of Christ, enabling all parts to function properly and with purpose, whether prominent or of lesser importance, whether seen or not seen. It reminds me of the time my gall bladder went on the fritz. When it stopped working the whole body, except the part that registers pain, was affected. It was debilitating. You can’t see your gall bladder, but you know it’s there when it stops functioning properly. Paul says that the body isn’t one part but many and that God has placed each one of the parts in the body just like he wanted, and if all were one and the same body part, he asks, what would happen to the body? Because each part of the body has a function there are many parts to one body all working together for the good of the body. Paul goes on to emphasize that each part of the body, whether seen or not seen, is important even though we might not think so and consider them less honorable, like comparing bulging muscles to the kidneys. Instead, he says, the parts of the body that people think are the weakest are the most necessary. He goes on to say that God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the part with less honor so that there won’t be division within the body and so the parts might have mutual concern for each other. He says: If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it; if one part gets the glory, all the parts celebrate with it.
And so it is with the body of Christ. Paul tells his Corinthian readers that they are the body of Christ and parts of each other. He writes that: In the church, God has appointed first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then miracles, then gifts of healing, the ability to help others, leadership skills, different kinds of tongues. He rhetorically asks if all aren’t also apostles, prophets, teachers and so on making the point that one person can’t do it all, nor should they be expected to. What Paul is emphasizing is that for the church to carry out its missional role as Christ’s visible, cruciform body—the presence of Christ in the world—each individual needs to carry out the function gifted him or her by the Spirit. What God wants is for every member of the church to be mutually concerned for every other member, all sharing in one another’s sufferings and joys, celebrating the strengths and working on the weaknesses.
Paul’s comparison of the body of Christ to a human body is meant to illustrate that each part has a specific function that is necessary to the body as a whole. Could we worship without music? Yes, but it wouldn’t be as much fun or meaningful. Could we worship without Facebook Live? Yes, but we wouldn’t reach those who are homebound, don’t have a church, or consider us to be their church. We don’t see the Treasurer or Financial Secretary at work but trust me, things would come to a screeching halt if they didn’t do what they do. If our missionaries didn’t show up on Saturday mornings people would go without food, clothing and blankets when they need it the most.
Paul realized almost two thousand years ago that effectively being a church was a group effort and that no one person could do it all. It was too much of a burden and there was too much at stake. He believed that in spite of our differences, all believers have one thing in common: faith in Christ. He knew that upon this one essential truth the church finds unity. He understood that as members of God’s family, we may have different interests and gifts, but we have a common goal: loving our neighbors as ourselves and restoring God’s creation.
As Christians, we must avoid two common errors: first being too proud of our abilities, and second, thinking we have nothing to give to the body of believers. Too often we think that the “up-front” gifts, like speaking or teaching are more highly regarded than the “behind-the-scenes” gifts, like helping and serving. Not true. No one should discount the contribution of another person, no matter how insignificant it may seem. And we should not be dissatisfied with the gifts God has given us but be eager to serve joyfully in any capacity. Nor should we envy those who seem to have more gifts than we do. If need be, our time will come, and we will be called. In love, we must treat everyone’s gift, ours included, as valuable to God. And we must remember that our spiritual gifts are not for our own self-advancement or promotion. They were given to us for the purpose of serving God and enhancing the spiritual growth of the body of believers. If we do what we can, with what we have, when called upon, then God will be pleased because part-time is plenty when we all pitch in as a body of believers.
Let us pray.
Yes, we are the body of which the Lord is Head, called to obey Christ, now risen from the dead. God wills us to be a family diverse, yet truly one. So let us give our gifts to God and so shall God’s work on earth be done. Yes, gracious and loving Father, move us by your Spirit to do whatever needs to be done in the name of your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Instill within us a servant’s heart so that we may willingly and lovingly do your work and your will. As a body may we work in cooperation with one another to ease the suffering of others, bring the lost and searching to you, and restore your creation for the benefit of all. This we pray in Jesus’ name
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Part-time is Plenty
As members of God’s family, we may have different interests and gifts, but we have a common goal: loving our neighbors as ourselves and restoring God’s creation.